


Astray

by lordclover



Category: South Park
Genre: Enemies to Friends to Lovers, M/M, Slow Burn, Slow Romance
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-10-16
Updated: 2020-10-16
Packaged: 2021-03-08 19:34:00
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,916
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27051982
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/lordclover/pseuds/lordclover
Summary: If anyone wants me to continue this, let me know ^^" I have an idea for the rest of the story and I'm hoping to have it be under 15 chapters? I tend to write long so uh we'll see if that happens. This is kinda a shorter start just to test the waters. I've never posted anything for South Park before, but I enjoy a lot of the fandom content.Most of the characters will be toned down/more of the fanon bc I want to stay in Teen rating besides swearingbut uhhh Kenny/Craig is a really interesting ship to me. I saw a PMV on youtube recently that ignited my interest and I've been thinking about them haha
Relationships: Kenny McCormick/Craig Tucker
Kudos: 11





	Astray

Life in South Park was boring. There wasn’t much to do, and after living in the town for seventeen years, Kenny had done everything. And everyone. That was a joke, of course. He had standards. Dating in South Park was as bland as the people, it’d barely evolved since elementary school. Pick a pretty girl and if you talked twice a month, it was a good relationship. The “best” relationship in their school was supposedly Stan and Wendy, but they changed with the seasons. One week they’d be dating, the next they’d barely look at each other. Kenny was bored.

For the third weekend in the row, he was at Stan’s. Kyle and Stan were playing a game, they only had two controllers and as the pseudo leaders they got them. Kenny, Cartman, and Butters all watched from the sidelines. This was about as interesting as Stan’s track meets, but Kenny went because everyone else did. Some people called them friends, but Kenny preferred the term temporary companions. He knew the reality, Stan and Kyle would get an apartment together and leave the rest of them behind. Or maybe they’d stay in South Park their whole lives, join the seemingly endless cycle. Very few people moved to South Park and stayed. There’d been a New Kid in elementary school, but they too left. Kenny thought it was for the best, he was starting to think South Park was purgatory.

“You guys suck,” Cartman scoffed.

This ignited an argument between Cartman and Kyle. Kenny frankly wasn’t sure why they let him hang around. Cartman was a jackass, always had been. He’d insulted all of them, to their face and behind their backs. Yet he always squirmed his way back into their group. Kenny couldn’t tell who they liked more, Cartman or him. They were indifferent about Kenny, he’d vanish and barely a word would be said about it. Cartman they talked about when he was missing, mostly comments of joy... but it was something. Kenny could wander into the woods and no one would question it.

He stared out the window as Kyle launched himself at Cartman. The pair got into a fight and Stan reluctantly tried to mediate. Kenny ignored them, but instead focused on a familiar figure. Craig Tucker. Kenny smirked and got up from the couch. He left and Butters claimed his seat.

“What’re you doing?” Kenny demanded. “Thought you weren’t allowed on this street.”

“Fuck off,” Craig snarled.

He flipped off Kenny and kept walking. Undeterred, Kenny trailed after him.

“You’re like a goddamn stray,” Craig said angrily. “Just pick someone to follow, huh?”

“Until they take me home,” Kenny confirmed.

Craig’s mood only worsened. Kenny stared at him curiously. Usually Craig was in a foul mood, but today it was particularly nasty.

“I’m not going home, you can get lost now,” Craig grumbled.

Kenny shrugged. He had nothing better to do, and Craig had given him attention. That was really all he wanted.

“Where are you going then?” Kenny asked.

Craig didn’t answer for a long moment, long enough Kenny didn’t think he would. Eventually Craig growled out, “The woods.”

Kenny frowned as he considered this. There was nothing to do there. Occasionally there were parties, but they were all the same. Drunken teenagers howling like idiots and waking up covered in mud. Hard pass. 

“No beer?” Kenny asked. “Or secret lover?”

Craig shot him an annoyed look, but Kenny ignored it. He’d gotten worse from Kyle. You had to have a thick skin in South Park, otherwise you got torn a part in seconds. They continued in silence, passing by a block of identical houses.

“Where’s Tweek?” Kenny finally asked.

“We broke up a month ago,” Craig answered lowly.

He was begging for Kenny to say something snarky, an excuse to hit him. Kenny recognized the tone and decided to play it safe.

“Didn’t know.”

“Why would you,” Craig muttered. “We’re not friends.”

“The whole school knows when Wendy and Stan break up,” Kenny reminded.

Craig turned on him, but Kenny held his ground.

“Don’t compare me to that fucking idiot,” Craig said.

Kenny held his hands up with a slight smile. Craig’s gaze traveled to his bare hands as they turned red in the cold. Craig rolled his eyes and started on his way again. Kenny shoved his hands in his pockets and followed.

“Why the hell aren’t you wearing gloves?” Craig asked. “It’s freezing out.”

It was cold, cold enough puffs of air were visible each time they spoke. Kenny was ill equipped for the cold, admittedly. He’d outgrown a lot of his winter clothes and didn’t have the money to replace it all. He mostly survived off hand me downs, but since his brother moved, they’d been few and far between. His parents could barely be bothered to keep food in the fridge, clothes were out of the question. Kenny did work, but hours were short and he had a little sister to take care of. He was assuredly a lost cause, but she wasn’t.

“Want to hold my hand to keep it warm?” Kenny cooed.

This time, he did have to dodge as Craig swiped at him. Craig scowled at him and Kenny smirked devilishly.

“You really like making enemies, don’t you?” Craig asked. “Get lost already.”

Kenny didn’t. He wasn’t good at listening to orders, partially why he didn’t get many hours. He was the last resort call in for everything. Last pick for teams, and last for projects. Couldn’t blame anyone, he didn’t have any motivation as the counselor kept telling him. His report cards reflected it. Kenny was positive he’d die in South Park. Maybe in the woods if he was lucky. Craig might put him out of his misery, he seemed angry enough. If Kenny had any sense of self preservation, he might’ve avoided Craig that day. He seemed pissed already, and Kenny was far from his favorite person. Kenny liked to push his luck too much.

Craig seemed to realize quickly Kenny had no intention of running off and sighed irritably. He held out a bag he’d been holding in his right hand. Kenny accepted it and was startled by how heavy it was. Craig was carrying a lot, something Kenny didn’t consider before. His school backpack seemed about to burst, and he was carrying a black plastic case. He’d handed Kenny a reusable shopping bag filled with more stuff. Kenny peered down into it.

“What do I get for carrying this?” Kenny asked.

“You can tag along,” Craig said.

“Generous,” Kenny decided.

“I’m feeling nice today,” Craig grumbled.

That was a lie and they both knew it. Kenny shrugged it off and swung the bag onto his back. It slammed against him roughly and Kenny winced. Craig smirked and Kenny huffed. He hadn’t thought it through entirely.

“So you and Tweek-“ Kenny started.

“Don’t,” Craig snapped. “I’m not talking about it.”

Kenny nodded, but now he was dying to know the truth. Maybe he could ask Clyde, Clyde could be bribed. Kyle might know, or Stan. Kenny pondered this as they continued to walk, mentally running through a list of everyone that might have information. Wendy was a natural option, she seemed to know about everyone’s relationship. She was sort of scary in that way, too smart with a wealth of information. She was pretty, but even if she weren’t Stan’s occasional girlfriend, Kenny would never date her. He was certain the feeling was mutual.

“Where’s your gang?” Kenny finally asked. “Who is it now? Token, Clyde, and…?”

“Gang?” Craig repeated. “Do you think we’re eight still?”

“Not much changes around here,” Kenny answered dully. “Everyone stays pretty much the same.”

Or they got worse. His parents had gotten worse and so had the teachers. He’d gotten worse too. Maybe this wasn’t purgatory, but a strange hell that would only get increasingly worse with every minute. Kenny shook his head. He wasn’t sure when his thoughts got so morbid.

His gaze wandered some to their surroundings. They’d reached the edge of town, where the concrete sidewalk ended but the asphalt winded away. Craig took a turn towards the towering fir trees, moving away from the road entirely. Kenny needed to stick with him if he wanted to get back to South Park eventually, the woods were a maze he never figured out.

Kenny glanced back at Craig’s backpack to see a tripod peeking out of the main compartment.

“Even you,” Kenny commented. “Still dragging around camera?”

“What of it?” Craig asked defensively.

Kenny stared at him in bewilderment. He hadn’t meant anything by it.

“Nothing,” Kenny said. “Did I strike a nerve?”

“You always do,” Craig muttered.

That wasn’t true, but Kenny let it slide.

“What’s worth filming around here?” Kenny asked.

He kicked at a rock and sent it skittering across the ground. It wasn’t as satisfying in the grass, on the sidewalk it would make a sound. Here it was silent, vanishing into a pile of snow. Kenny rolled his eyes in frustration. He was starting to wonder if he should’ve stayed at Stan’s, but… he already knew what was happening there. He could practically hear their voices echoing in his head.

“What’s with you?” Craig asked.

Kenny looked back at him uncertainly.

“Are you depressed or some shit?” Craig demanded.

Kenny cracked a smile, his lips already feeling chapped in the cold.

“Aw, you care,” Kenny said.

“Yeah, right,” Craig said. “I’m not your therapist, that’s all.”

“For the right price, I could be yours,” Kenny said. “Not the kind with a degree, but I have-“

“Stop,” Craig interrupted. “I’m not listening to a crude joke about how you fucked-“

“You didn’t even let me finish,” Kenny complained.

Craig deliberately took longer strides to walk ahead of Kenny. Kenny struggled after him, having to move faster to keep up. Craig was taller than Kenny, taller than a lot of the boys. He’d grown a lot but remained barely above average height. Not tall enough for basketball, but tall enough to annoy Kenny.

“Fine,” Kenny huffed. “What do _you_ want to talk about? Since everything I’ve said isn’t good enough.”

“I like silence,” Craig said irritably.

Kenny tried to let there just be silence, but it was difficult for him. He didn’t like being around people and not hearing conversation. It was eerie, and frankly weird. There was always _something_ going on, someone arguing, someone singing, someone complaining. South Park was unapologetically loud, the kids, the adults, the animals, everything.

A car backfired a distance away, loud enough Kenny turned to look. A rusted mess of a car puttered down the road, a garbage bag taped to cover the back window.

“Hey, someone’s stealing your car,” Kenny commented.

Craig turned to look and scowled.

“My car isn’t a piece of shit,” Craig said. “You’d scavenge that piece of shit from the junkyard.”

“Maybe,” Kenny admitted. “As long as it isn’t broken-“

“Stuff is put in a junkyard for a reason, Kenny,” Craig reminded.

Kenny was about to argue, but hesitated. Craig had said his name for the first time that conversation. For the first time that year, he was pretty sure.

“What?” Craig demanded. “You have that devious look in your eye-“

“Are you going to flip me off for it?” Kenny asked.

That was Craig’s signature move when they were kids. He still resorted to it at times, but it had faded some.

“Go to hell,” Craig snapped.

**Author's Note:**

> If anyone wants me to continue this, let me know ^^" I have an idea for the rest of the story and I'm hoping to have it be under 15 chapters? I tend to write long so uh we'll see if that happens. This is kinda a shorter start just to test the waters. I've never posted anything for South Park before, but I enjoy a lot of the fandom content.
> 
> Most of the characters will be toned down/more of the fanon bc I want to stay in Teen rating besides swearing 
> 
> but uhhh Kenny/Craig is a really interesting ship to me. I saw a PMV on youtube recently that ignited my interest and I've been thinking about them haha


End file.
